A tribute to and catalogue of the works of Alexander "Hugin" Wieser, founder of ambient black metal band Uruk Hai and many other side-projects, including Hrossharsgrani, Hrefnesholt, Elisabetha, B-Machina, Ceremony of Innocence and more!
Here you will find my thoughts on his work and details on the releases as drawn from items in my personal collection, forming a fuller catalogue of his work than is currently available elsewhere online

Saturday, 20 February 2010

LEBENIN

Band:URUK HAI

Title: Lebenin

Format: Cassette-only release through the W.A.R. Productions label (no catalogue reference) in 2009. The tape comes in a special A5-size orange envelope with Uruk Hai postcard cover, within which is the tape itself, 7 different postcard / photographs of Hugin and an Uruk Hai promo card.Edition:Hand-numbered edition of 6 copies

Track Listing:

Side A: Die Ruckkehr zu den Grunen Feldern 14.10

Side B: Die Gemeinschaft 3.07

This intriguing little EP was a 2009 release from Hugin's own W.A.R Productions label and offered two tracks to the dedicated collector (and you had to be pretty dedicated and/or fast off the mark to get one of these, being only 6 in total! Nazgul's is number #2).

Side A offers up 'Die Ruckkehr Zu Den Grunen Feldern' ('The Return To The Green Fields'), a track familiar to us from the "Zeitzeichen" split album, also released in 2009 (see Blog post of 20 November 2009 for details). This track was described by Nazgul as "a real masterpiece, and one that you could sit around and listen to all day - a blend of piping (almost triumphal) keyboards, strings, thunderous drums and those harsh semi-whispered vocals. Although over fourteen minutes long it simply flies by in an unfettered mixture of hypnotic melody and innovation. One of the best Uruk Hai songs, period."

I think I'd stand by that description still, although the quality of the "Lebenin" tape leaves a little to be desired, as this track has a few audio 'wobbles' in it where it sounds as if the tape has stretched slightly - I think Nazgul's death-deck has been eating it behind his back....!

The second track 'Die Gemeinschaft' (literally 'The Partnership', although possibly it could be read as 'The Fellowship' if the listener is wearing their Tolkein hat) is a new one, however, and although an alternative version of it has been recorded on another of the myriad of 2009 releases from this project the version here on "Lebenin" is - Nazgul believes - a unique one. It starts with an eerie keyboard riff (reminiscent of the score to a vampyre movie!) before a more familiar Uruk-Hai sound kicks in with a building pattern of synthesiser chords underpinned by a martial drum-beat. A catchy keyboard riff then comes in to give the piece a nice melody, and it continues in this vein until its close. This version is without vocals, unlike the alternative recording on the "Ein Zeitzeichen Von Lebenin" tape, part of the "Remember CC" series.

Ultimately this is a very limited edition put out by Hugin for those of his fans who wanted something a little more personal, with of photos and a collectible alternate version of a modern Uruk Hai song. Nazgul's copy of "Lebenin" came with a signed dedication in gold on the envelope from the great man himself, and reads "From the Green Fields...to David" - as noted, the personal touch from a musician always in tune with his followers.